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I own a '91 MR2 and a WRX...and after a while I was thinking the impossible. So I measured. It turns out that the frunk (FRont trUNK) on the MR2 is about the same width as the Impreza framerail-to-framerail. It also looks like there is plenty of room front-to-back if the sheetmetal behind the radiator is cut out.

The center tunnel on the MR2 looks about large enough for the WRX 5-speed, with the exception of the 'gate' between the frunk and the tunnel.

youll have to run a porsche gearbox if u rearmount the motor. or you'll have 5 reverse gears :P

No Porsche gearbox for an AWD MR2.

I'm just curious to see how much effort it would take. From what I've seen, the engine could be made to fit in RWD form, but it would take extra work to make it AWD.

The good news is that it looks like the MR2 shares similar framerail to framerail width and that the WRX subframe (which supports almost everything) could nearly be bolted on with 4 bolts. The MR2 gas tank is in the center tunnel. By using a fuel cell in another location, the tunnel would become a transmission tunnel. Plenty of room for the exhaust as well.
By making the frunk area into an engine bay, the original engine bay can be used for other things. Fuel cell, muffler, radiator, intercooler?, turbo?, etc could all be mounted there.

There are only a few things in the frunk, but they need to be moved. 1) the battery. 2) the brake master cylinder/booster/lines 3) steering shaft

Engine width at the front of the EJ20 is the widest. That might be a problem. The EJ20 might be too tall, but I'd almost want to leave the hood off anyway to scare the old folks.

My thoughts on the front suspension: Use the Subaru aluminum lower control arms. I wish that Subaru had mounted them entirely to the subframe, but they didn't. So, rear control arm mounts would have to be fabbed. Companies like Tein make coilovers with interchangeable bottom brackets. Screw a WRX bottom bracket onto MR2 coilovers. Voila! Hybrid struts. The WRX anti-sway bars don't mount to the struts like the MR2, so no problems.

Rear suspension: The difference in wheelbase is about 4 inches, I think. How long is the driveshaft on an automatic/STi? If you use the automatic driveshaft with the 5-speed, will that be enough? The MR2 rear suspension and subframe are damn heavy from what I understand. They were designed long, long ago. Keeping it all Subaru (or really Nissan), would be done by using the entire Impreza subframe.

Shifter: The MR2 uses a cable shifter. A hole would have to be cut for the WRX shifter.

Not lengthened, shortened. The 'sexy' MR2 has a shorter wheelbase. 99.4" for the WRX, 91" for the original Mk1 MR2, 94.5" for the Mk2 MR2, and 96.5" for the MR2 Spyder.

4.9" shoter.

Why would you be so opposed to a low-slung 2-door STi? Is it the pop-up headlights?

The MR2 might be one of the only cars that a Subaru drivetrain can be swapped into. Most other cars don't have the width in between the front frame rails...I don't think. The MR2 also has that huge tunnel in the car, and is already a RWD car.

The Ford Focus has been converted to AWD for rally, and one has also been Cobra-fied. That would be the only other candidate I can think of.